Please Wait Until Restroom Is Unoccupied To Use Microwave. Don't Ask…

By consumerist.comFebruary 29, 2008

With this homespun sign, Shapiro Hardware in SoHo New York politely asks that you please wait until the restroom is unoccupied before using the microwave. Huh? A commenter on the Copyranter blog where we found this notes that he used to work in a jewelry store where the electrical box was installed in the bathroom. “we got shocked when we washed our hands.” says Anonymous, “25 year old owner’s son didn’t care. I hope his balls fry some day. There are many small businesses like this I bet.”

Scary thing is, that was my first thought. I’ve worked places where the setup was similar.

And growing up, for some reason the circuit for the bathroom and the circuit for my bedroom were on the same breaker, so I couldn’t use electronics in my room if someone was in the bathroom with the light and exhaust fan on, and definitely not if mom was using a hair dryer.

Of course, we also had baseboard heaters, and the control in my bedroom controlled the baseboard in the bathroom. Brother and I used to fight because he’d turn it way up to get the bathroom toasty during the winter, which of course got my room unbearable.

@InfiniTrent: You love your grandmother don’t you. I love older people when they make odd claims.

My question is, does she ever send something back that doesn’t end up in the microwave? and: Have you tested this by giving her microwaved food secretly? it’s ok to answer, we won’t judge. Well, I won’t.

@shocker: no no, it does seem easy. If its an old building. My house if 50 years old. The whole kitchen is on one low amp circuit. If you run the microwave, toaster oven and washing machine at the same time it kills it. Or microwave, toaster oven dish washer and then fridge kicks on… same thing.

My bros house is ~50 years old also. Just completely re-wired a few years ago. They cut a wire in the living room… knocked out the garage, kitchen, hall and bathroom. He has a 3 bedroom house that had about 4 circuits total. Now each room is on its on cuircuit. .

Apparently, you’ve not been in the bathroom after some of the people I have. There should ba skull and crossbones even if the exhaust fan is working in some cases, but definitely if it’s not (such as due to a blown breaker.)

In all seriousness, it was probably added after the fact by someone who thought the sign was humorously ominous and could use some sprucing up.

We used to rent and older house. You would get a shock if you washed your hands in the bathroom sink about half the time. We never figured out what was turned on or off to cause it. Who knows, the place also had a problem of rain water running into the electrical box during storms.

Well first off, if the electrical panel for the building is located in the bathroom, that is a violation of section 240.24.E of the 2005 National Electrical Code that forbids the location of primary overcurrent devices from being located in bathrooms. Now this may have been done before this provision was added to the code, but if any substantial remodeling were done, you’d have to relocate the panel.

Second, as an electrical engineer for construction projects, I’d hazard a guess that if one runs the microwave at the same time as the combination bathroom light/ fan is running, it trips the breaker, making for a very dark bathroom. If I were left in a pitch black bathroom on the toilet, I too would be angry enough at who ever tripped the breaker to warrant a skull and cross bones as a warning icon.

On a total side note, with the increasing frequency of occupancy sensors being used for commercial facility bathrooms, be sure that the sensors can detect motion in the stalls or that the timer is set to at least half an hour. I knew someone who fell asleep drunk on the toilet in a quiet bar that had a sensor on the light and when they woke up they momentarily thought they were blind until their motion turned the lights back on.

First, tell the boss that it’s a hazard. Let him/her know about the sign and the fact that their son shocked somebody in the bathroom, despite the sign. See if they fix it. Granted, fixing it might mean removal of the microwave, but safe is safe.

At my old office, the circuit for the kitchen (and copier!) were all tied together…if I was making lunch, and someone had a large print job, bam…because it’s not like we can unplug the fridge every time someone gets an important email…

The best thing? The circuit box was in my bosses office…which he locked…often. That was always fun

The fact that it’s shorting to the plumbing in the bathroom is the problem, not someone ignoring the sign. Sounds like the microwave is shorting to the safety ground, which is probably wired to the plumbing, and the plumbing isn’t grounded. Otherwise, you’d have a breaker trip.

Two parts to the solution: get a new microwave and have a competent electrician inspect the wiring.

@girly: The Building Inspector would have to close down at least a third of NYC. Lots of old buildings with old electrical wirings here. Heck, I’m not too sure of some of the newer buildings either for that matter.

@aaron8301: Don’t forget about the nice, steady 60Hz radiation from all of the power lines in your house as well. And radiation from the cordless phone, and cell phone, the cell towers around you, the 100kW-316kW+ radio/TV transmitters in the area as well… oh yeah, and let’s not forget the largest source of RF/Light radiation — the sun. Hope you never use/see/are exposed to that.

Microwaves draw a good bit of current. Our last apartment was similar to what socalrob described. The ENTIRE apartment was on two circuits, one for the kitchen and bathroom, and one for the living room, office, and bedroom. My geeky husband and I moved in with our 4 computers, TV, microwave, vacuum cleaner, and window unit and eventually had the breaker going off 4 times a day. We decided to move out when the circuit breakers started *melting*.